Summary
Italian cultural influence reaches all corners of the globe thanks, among other things, to its iconic cuisine, exotic cars and exquisite fashion. The 2023 Maserati Levante skips the marinara but delivers on performance and wardrobe. Open the hood of the Levante and you’ll find a twin-turbo V-6 or twin-turbo V-8 engine, the latter of which produces as much as 580 horsepower. Climb inside and you’ll see that Maserati has dressed the cabin with a ton of jewels, including optional leather and silk upholstery from renowned fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna. Unfortunately, the Levante’s finest outfits share closet space with basic switchgear pulled from the Chrysler parts bin. Forget that, and the Levante thrills with powerful acceleration paired with a melodic soundtrack. That special combination of style and brio is something you can’t get from Acura or Lincoln.
What’s New for 2023?
The Levante has been elevated from the only Maserati SUV to this year’s Maserati halo SUV with the introduction of the smaller Grecale crossover to its lineup. Otherwise, nothing has changed for Levante other than the price, which has increased by more than $8,000 to avoid infringing on its new little brother’s customer base.
Price and Which One to Buy
While that adds a lot of coin to the bottom line, we settled on the sexy-sounding 550-hp twin-turbo Modena S and V-8 models. The Modena S also adds 20-inch wheels, a leather interior with stitched dashboard and door panels, and steering column-mounted paddle shifters. All Modena S models also come with red-painted brake calipers and the Nerissimo Pack appearance package, which adds dark exterior trim for a more menacing look.
Engine, Transmission and Performance
While the Levante isn’t the fastest or most powerful performance-oriented luxury crossover, it definitely plays one of the better soundtracks. Under the hood of most Levante models is a twin-turbocharged V-6 that directs 350 horsepower—or 430 horses in Modena—to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic. In our tests, the 2017 V-6 powered Levante was delivered zero to 60 mph time in 5.1 secondsdefeat Mercedes-AMG GLE53. The Modena S and Trofeo models come with twin-turbo V-8s packing 550 and 580 horsepower respectively. On the test track, a GTS (which is being replaced by the Modena S for 2022) launched itself 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, while Trofeo does it in 3.6. With its adaptive shock absorbers set in sport mode, the Levante’s ride feels thunderous on the smoothest of all road surfaces. In comfort mode, the ride is much more enjoyable, although the suspension barely flexes with shock at its default setting.
Real World Fuel and MPG Savings
On paper, the Levante isn’t a sucker for fuel. In fact, the EPA’s estimates for the V-6 model—16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway—are closer to those of V-8-powered rivals than any other V-6. However, in our real-world tests, the V-6 impressed us with a highway fuel economy figure of 24 mpg, which is higher than its ratings would suggest. The V-8 powered model earned a 13 mpg city and 20 mpg highway rating and produced 20 mpg in our test. For more information on the Levante’s fuel economy, visit EPA website.
Interior, Comfort and Cargo
At first glance, the inside of the Levante appears rich and well-appointed, especially on our test vehicle, which features full skin care in a rich, dark brown hue. The open-grained wood trim, leather-finished dashboard, tasteful chrome accents and traditional Maserati analogue clocks all give the Levante an air of classy old-school luxury. A closer look, however, reveals parts it clearly shares with other Stellantis brands—for example, the window switch, wiper control rod, and ignition switch are the same as the Jeep Cherokee‘s—which is disappointing. Still, the controls work intuitively, and better than some examples of questionable ergonomics Maserati himself has had over the years. Speaking of ergonomics, the riding position in the Levante is comfortable and prepared for passionate riding. Like a pair of Versace stilettos, the Levante places a heavy emphasis on style. While its cargo area still accommodated a large number of our carry-on luggage (eight behind the rear seats, 19 with the rear seats folded), even the other luggage in the segment fared much better. Put them all side by side, though, and Maserati’s bold design overshadows the practicality of its rivals.
Infotainment and Connectivity
We haven’t had a chance to try out Maserati’s latest infotainment interface, but it’s said to display brilliantly on the Levante’s 8.4-inch touchscreen. Most of the vehicle’s functions, including climate control, are adjusted via the infotainment display, but the system also offers a voice-activated virtual assistant. Standard navigation, such as SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. A wireless charging pad is also included. While an eight-speaker stereo system is standard, buyers can upgrade to a 14-speaker Harman/Kardon setup or a 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system.
Safety and Driver Assistance Features
A number of driver assistance features standard, and other, more advanced technologies are optional throughout the range. For more information on the results of the Levante crash test, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) website. Key safety features include:
- Standard auto high beam headlights
- Standard blind spot monitoring
- Automatic emergency braking is available
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
The Levante warranty is nothing special, with a four-year or 50,000-mile policy that covers everything, including corrosion protection and roadside assistance. Rivals offer something special to stand out from the crowd, like free scheduled maintenance or an unlimited-mile roadside assistance package—but not the Maserati.
- The limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- The powertrain warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- No free scheduled maintenance
Specification
Specification
2019 Maserati Levante GTS
TRANSPORTATION TYPE
front engine, all wheel drive, 5 passengers, 4 door hatchback
PRICE ACCORDING TO THE TEST
$136,790 (base price: $121,475)
MACHINE TYPE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Transfer
232 cu in, 3799 cc
Power
542 @ 6250rpm
torque
538 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic with manual shift mode
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): control arm/multilink
Brakes (F/R): 15.0-in vented, cross-drilled disc/13.0-in vented, cross-bored disc
Tires: Continental CrossContact LX Sport 5 SUV, F: 265/35R-22 102W M+S MGT R: 295/30ZR-22 103W M+S MGT
SIZE
Wheelbase: 118.3 inches
Length: 197.6 inches
Width: 78.0 inches
Height: 66.9 inches
Passenger volume: 103 cu ft
Baggage/Cargo Volume: 20 cu ft
Curb weight: 5163 lb
CD TEST RESULTS
Zero to 60 mph: 3.8 seconds
Zero to 100 mph: 9.0 seconds
Zero to 150 mph: 24.6 seconds
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.5 seconds
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.2 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 2.9 sec
Standing ¼ mile: 12.1 seconds @ 115 mph
Top speed (limited drag, mfr approx.): 181 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 166 ft
Roadblock, 300 ft diameter skidpad: 0.84 g
CD FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
Driving on the highway 75 mph: 20 mpg
Highway range: 420 miles
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 15/14/18 mpg
Trofeo Maserati Levante 2019
TRANSPORTATION TYPE
front engine, all wheel drive, 5 passengers, 4 door hatchback
PRICE ACCORDING TO THE TEST
$171,875 (base price: $171,475)
MACHINE TYPE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Transfer
232 cu in, 3799 cc
Power
582 hp @ 6250 rpm
torque
538 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic with manual shift mode
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): control arm/multilink
Brakes (F/R): 15.0-in vented, cross-drilled disc/13.0-in vented, cross-bored disc
Tires: Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV, F: 265/40R-21 101Y MGT R: 295/35R-21 103Y MGT
SIZE
Wheelbase: 118.3 inches
Length: 197.0 inches
Width: 77.5 inches
Height: 66.1 inches
Passenger volume: 103 cu ft
Baggage/Cargo Volume: 20 cu ft
Curb weight: 5175 lb
CD TEST RESULTS
Zero to 60 mph: 3.6 seconds
Zero to 100 mph: 8.7 seconds
Zero to 150 mph: 22.0 seconds
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.5 seconds
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 2.9 sec
Standing ¼ mile: 12.0 seconds @ 117 mph
Top speed (limited drag, mfr approx): 189 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 156 ft
Roadblock, 300 ft diameter skidpad: 0.91 g
CD FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 13 mpg
Driving on the highway 75 mph: 20 mpg
Highway range: 420 miles
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 15/14/18 mpg
More Features and Specifications